Hear the people

Protests in Sri Lanka are usually overwhelmingly aligned with the interests of political parties. People are normally bussed in by political parties, given cash and alcohol to prop up an agenda that is favourable to one set of politicians. Genuine, organic and people-driven protests are rare and usually tend to be unimpressive because they lack the lustre brought by party machinery. 

On Tuesday there was a somewhat different protest seen in Colombo. Even with political overtones there were significant numbers of people who came because they support democracy and not for party affiliations. 

The authenticity of these people cannot be doubted. They stand for a principle. They stand for Sri Lanka’s Constitution, which must be respected for democracy to exist. The argument that the swearing in of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister last Friday was in line with the Sinhala version of the Constitution will not meet the wishes of these people. Many legal experts have pointed out the argument that the Sinhala version of the Constitution precedes the English one is flimsy at best and many have pointed out that the Constitution should be considered in its entirety and in the spirit of the law.  The protestors who gathered on Tuesday, along with many others, believe that Parliament and only Parliament can provide the answer for these questions. 

Parliament plays a massive role in ensuring democracy by upholding transparency, accountability and the Constitution. Parliament may be an imperfect institution but it is nonetheless an essential one. Therefore, the proroguing of Parliament has triggered a serious situation that could have a deep impact on Sri Lanka’s Constitution and how it is followed by future governments. All three branches of the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary are ultimately responsible for upholding the rule of law and one branch cannot supersede the other. When Executive powers are used to prorogue Parliament democracy is undermined. 

For as long as the Constitution is disregarded both Sri Lankans and the international community will question the legitimacy of actions taken by the President. Sri Lanka now has two Prime Ministers and is also baffled by two Cabinets. The deepening crisis is not going to help anyone, least of all the economy. Sri Lanka’s currency markets have taken a hit in the past few days with the Central Bank battling to keep the currency from plummeting but prolonged political uncertainty will only increase this pressure. 

For now Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, being the consummate professional, has done his job in the face of incredible uncertainty. But how much longer will his independence be allowed? How much longer before he has little choice but to step down? How much time before the Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe and the few other independent appointees are forced to step down? Rating agencies Fitch and Moody have warned that Sri Lanka’s debt refinancing, which is an estimated $ 15 billion from 2019-2022, will have to be financed by international capital markets that have little risk appetite. This is additionally true given the questions that have arisen in the last few days. 

Institutions are important for governance and unless the rule of law is respected, these institutions can be hollowed out and the repercussions will be felt by all Sri Lankans.